Beauty and The Beast (1946)

[Mr. Arkadin]

Another great film that I have no time to write anything about! TCM should just show bad films or there should be more hours in a day--no wait, I hate bad movies and if there were more hours in a day, TCM would probably be showing even more films!

Beauty and The Beast is one of the classics. If you haven't seen it because you're one of the millions of non-French out there, I urge you to take the plunge anyway. If you like The Wizard of Oz (1939) or Curse of the Cat People (1946), you'll like this as well.

As mentioned, I don't have time to give this film the great write up it deserves and I'm not sure I could, there is an awful lot here. I'll just mention a few highlights and things to look for:

*The Beast, Prince, and Avenant are all played by the same character Jean Marius. Cocteau orignally wanted a full mask for the Beast, but Marius suggested tiny bits of fur be applied to his face instead. This made for an agonizing makeup job and was quite uncomfortable, but the results are spectacular.

*Most of the film was not shot in a studio, but on location at the French manor, Rochecorbon. This made for a wonderful set and don't miss the striking carved animals on the top of the surrounding wall.

*In a world of CGI, many of the effects in this film still hold their power. Why? Because of the inventiveness and ideas. Running film backwards or pulling a maiden through a hall (which looks a bit like The Cat and the Canary [1927]) on a dolly were not groundbreaking techniques, but they precisely fitted the flow of the film. As with any good special effect, the effect should draw us into the story--not call attention to itself alone.

*There are some very Freudian sexual ideas expressed here. I won't name them or point them out. Look for them on your own.

*Finally, many critics have made a big deal about the fact that when the Beast turns into a handsome prince at the end, Beauty is not thrilled (Marlene Dietrich sat with Cocteau at the premiere and was quite upset saying "Where is my beautiful Beast?").

Cocteau is having a joke on us here and playing with our bias in what we see. Beauty and The Beast is a story about perception. We come to accept that The Beast is good, although he is unpleasant looking. When he becomes the Prince, our natural instinct is to distrust him. Cocteau shows us in this one scene that we have been watching and judging this whole time with our eyes--not our hearts.

This film is a visual reminder that it's not a persons looks that count as gain in this life, but what lies within the soul.

Enjoy the film and have fun.

[feaito]

Good review Mr. Arkadin.

As you all know, TCM Latin's schedule is limited to a small amount of films, which are aired all over again & again. So thanks to a Brazilian DVD Edition of this film, which I bought years ago, I was able to see it. I have watched it only once and I've wanted to watch it again for a long time, but I have so much pending films...

Well this French masterpiece is really mesmerizing; a ravishing, baroque, surrealistic, visually stunning fantasy, starring the legendary Jean Marais who was also Cocteau's protegé at the time and the beautiful Josette Day.

I remember being very impressed by its sets, cinematography, the art direction, the sumptuous misè-en-scene and its lyricism.

And the Beast's make-up or mask is truly awesome.

By far the best version of the story.

I'd like to watch the Criterion restored print. Is that the one TCM is going to air?

[Mr. Arkadin]

That looks like the one they are airing. I have the Criterion print and it looks great. I have a friend in the UK with similar problems when it comes to seeing films on TCM. We really have it good here in the States. On the TCM website, I have clicked on the UK schedule and it's very poor in comparison.

[feaito]

That looks like the one they are airing. I have the Criterion print and it looks great. I have a friend in the UK with similar problems when it comes to seeing films on TCM. We really have it good here in the States. On the TCM website, I have clicked on the UK schedule and it's very poor in comparison.

In previous months I have looked the Spanish, French and UK schedules and believe me, they are heaven in comparison with TCM Latin's.

TCM Latin never airs Silents and most of their prints lack contrast and sharpness; the color prints have washed-out colors and the widescreen films are only aired in Pan&Scan. Besides, the channel airs a maximum of 5 films per day. The rest of the schedule is filled with TV series like "Twilight Zone", "Chips", "Dallas", "Gilligan's Island", "The A-Team" et al. It looks more like Nickelodeon than TCM!!

[klondike]

What an amazing, shudderingly powerful experience . . Whoopi was entirely on the mark: if you trust this film enough to approach it with the eyes of a child (as Cocteau suggests), it really does return so much for your involvement . .
I've tried since my teenage years to catch up with La Belle et La Bete, and came annoyingly close on several occasions; I am pleased that I persisted . . and gratified that it was all worth it, and did not disappoint . . even for a minute.
Brava, Whoopi (you fellow Vermonter!) . . and kudos to you, TCM!
Few things pay off with more satisfaction than a smart gamble.
Mr. Osborne, I know films like this are rare, but - please, Sir, may we have some more?

[Moraldo Rubini]

This movie is in my all-time Top 10. Whenever it plays in the theatre, you can be sure I'll be there. Images from it are used as my computer's screensaver. When visiting Paris, I bought a beautiful hard-bound book that chronicles the making of the film and published stills that are shot-by-shot from the film. I raced to the video store the day the Criterion edition was released. Yup, I was obsessed with this one.

It's enchanting. It was also rather tortuous for Cocteau to make. Ill health and poor weather were obstacles in the making of this masterpiece, but he prevailed and we're left with a treasure. When he first saw the finished piece, he wrote: "The only thing I could see in it were the memories attached to every foot of it and the suffering it had caused me. I couldn't believe that others would be able to find a story line in it. I thought they were all immersed in my imaginings." But no, it all translated beautifully to the screen.

Mila Parély and Nane Germon's comical, narcissistic sisters are amusing. The quiet beauty of Josette Day is so perfect for Belle. Cocteau cast his partner Jean Marais as Bête, the bewitched prince whose saddened heart is hidden under his hirsuit hide.

Has anyone mentioned Henri Alékan yet? Those haunting images, the very mood of the picture is due in great part to his black and white cinematography. Years later, his entrancing work on this film was remembered by Wim Wenders, who hired him to create a similar haunting atmosphere for his Der Himmel über Berlin ("Wings of Desire").

Christian Bérard created many of the costumes for the picture. Cocteau wrote in his diary, "His costumes, with their elegance, power and sumptuous simplicity, play just as big a part as the dialogue. They are not merely decorations; they reinforce the slightest gesture, and the artists find them comfortable... As soon as Mila, Nane, Jeannot (his pet name for Marais), Michel and Josette are dressed, made up and bewigged, and wander about the garden, the farm, stone-work, windows and doors come to life. In our modern clothes we all look like intruders; ridiculous ghosts."

Concert hall fans will be interested to know that the score was composed by Georges Auric, one of the reknowned "French Six" (or Les Six). It was Cocteau that got Auric started in soundtrack compositions with his earlier Le Sang d'un Poète, a career that would grow to include Roman Holiday, Moulin Rouge and The Lavender Hill Mob among so many others.

[mrsl]

Blah, blah, blah, As I've stated before, to me a fairy tale belongs in the venue of a cartoon. I much prefer Disney's Belle and Prince. Also Angela's teapot over the coffee pot that pours itself.

As for the love story, maybe its the French. It's such a prissy language, it really doesn't lend itself to any emotions other than vanity and/or envy. I found the love story between Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton in the TV series more authentic. But then Mr. A did start out with 'if you liked the Wizard of Oz and Curse of the Cat People' so that put me out to start with. Oz is okay if you have a child along to watch it with, and Cat people is just jumb, so I'm out of the running on this one. I love the soundtrack and lyrics from R&H Cinderella for TV, but again I prefer the Disney Cartoon.

Fairy tales belong in a childs domain, adults should keep their noses out of them except to read them at night to lull kids to sleep.

Anne

[jdb1]

Afraid I can't agree with you on this one, Anne.

I think that anyone who tries to lull children to sleep with genuine folk tales of this nature may give those kids a complex or two.

Beauty and the Beast, as presented by Cocteau, is no children's tale. It is a retelling of a fable concocted by adults for adults, as were most of the tales gathered by the Grimm Brothers in Germany, and Perreau, in France.

The first time I saw this movie, when I was in high school, I didn't like it, and I was sort of creeped out by it. But as I got older, learned more about literature, movies, and love, I really began to appreciate it. But I don't really think you need any kind of scholarship to get something out of this movie - it's unique and beautiful all on its own.

Considering the awful post-war constraints Cocteau faced in making this movie, it's even more amazing. The movie is very stylized - that is, everything is purposely artificial looking and kind of ritualized. That is in keeping with the time the in which the story is set, and to give the whole thing an unreal, supernatural feel. After all, the Beast is under a spell - he's sort of living in a different dimension, and by making everything slightly off-kilter, we are made to feel it too.

I like Disney, too, but there is a darker side to life and love, one of the things we count on books and movies to tell us about - we all like a good story now and then. The Disney version of Beauty and the Beast is definitely a re-working of this dark tale, meant for family viewing. But sometimes I want to see something meant for me, a grown-up tale.

[mrsl]

jdb:

I have to admit BATB was never a favorite story, but I also guess I was lucky(?) that all of my 'Little Golden Books' were the Disney versions of fairy tales thanks to my one aunt. So the stories were always glossed over a bit. Somehow Disney made the stories cute and lovable, even the bad parts. I didn't read the book of Alice through the Looking Glass until I was in HS and what a shocker that was. Such a different story, yet the same. Same goes for this one and Snow White, and so many others. Somehow Disney's writers weave that first page or first 5 minutes of a video in such a way that you really don't realize you're reading about some poor little girl whose mother, or father or both died, and she is left with some horribly mean stranger. In any case, I didn't care for this one last time it was on (I did watch it all the way through), so thought I would try again last night, but, no dice, I switched off after 1/2 hour, but kept going back during commercials, but never got grabbed like some movies do.

Anne

[Mr. Arkadin]

Anne,

Did you see any of the film? B&B as Judith mentioned, is very much adult themed. I referenced it with Oz and Curse to give some point of reference particularly for American viewers who might not watch otherwise. There are also lots of little messages throughout this film. I touched a little on the big one at the end because everyone seems to bring that up, but while a child could actually watch this, it has many deeper layers that are definitely not for children.

Cocteau in this film, has created some of the most spectacular images in cinema. It's worth seeing for those alone. I would encourage you to give it a shot next time it shows. I'm sorry I did not explain the film more fully and gave you a bad impression which was not my intent.

[Mr. Arkadin]

Sorry, my mistake. I read that you did watch it and you gave it a second chance here. Well, that's great. I applaud you for checking out the film. Sometimes things just don't fit our personal tastes--nothing wrong with that.

[jdb1]

Yes, Anne, it is as Mr. A says - this movie may be a re-telling of what some would call a fairy tale, but it's not intended for anyone but grownups. I guess those wonderful Little Golden Books we read as kids prepared you for something quite different. As I said, I had a similar reaction the first time I saw this movie, when I was a teen. I was full of Gidget and Frankie & Annette at that time, and totally unprepared for Cocteau.

Most real "fairy tales" are pretty grim, and deal with the darker sides of human nature. For the most part, they are meant as warnings -- don't go into the dark woods alone; don't trust seductive strangers; don't think you are more powerful than those in authority, etc. From what I've read, most of these original stories do have pretty strong elements that we now call Freudian.

I don't think Disney did anything wrong by adapting these stories. After all, in that way they became familiar to generations of children who might otherwise never have known them. And I also think there are plenty of dark elements in the Disney versions, if you know where to look. I suppose that's one of the reasons adults like them as well.

[Moraldo Rubini]

...As for the love story, maybe its the French. It's such a prissy language, it really doesn't lend itself to any emotions other than vanity and/or envy. ...

Anne, you've left me dumbfounded again. Vanity and envy are two themes that are confronted in this film. If French lends itself to these, it would seem it's the perfect language for this film. Belle's two sisters are allegorical figures of Vanity and Envy.

Sadly, the lessons of this tale are ones that are edifying to adults as well as children. You'd think we would have learned them by the time we could vote and drive, but alas...